Railway-spike.



W. G. HERMAN RAILWAY SPIKEr APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1915.

Pmnm July 3, 1917.,

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WALTER G. HERMAN, F NEWBERG, OREGON.

RAILWAY-SPIKE.

L23fl 887 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 3, i915? Application filed June 2, 1915. Serial No. 31,735.

- To all whom it may concerns against the base flange of the rail as i1lus- Be it known that I, WALTER G. HERMAN, a trated to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2 of the citizen of Austria, residing at Newberg, in drawlngs. the county of Yamhill and State of Oregon, To prevent the loosening or removal of 5 have invented certain new and useful Imthe spike from the tie, a barb or shoulder 8 provements in Railway-Spikes, of which the is formed at the innermost part of the bevfollowing is a specification. elededge 6 by cutting a-portion of its in- This invention relates to railway spikes ner face away as at 9 thereby providing a 55 and has for its primary object to provide recess into which thefibers of the tie extend 10 means whereby a spike of ordinary construcafter they have been separated by the tion may be readily converted into the expoint 7. g

panding or self-retaining type. The barb 8 will efi'ectually bite into the further object of this invention is to, fibers of'the tie so as to prevent any upward 60 provide a spike having a split shank and or loosening movement of the spike theremeans formed at the end of one of the shank from. The leg 4 which extends vertically portions for diverting and anchoring it at into the tie will retain-the head of the spike a point laterally adjacent the body portion flush upon the base flange of the rail and the of the spike which remains vertical infthe expanding leg 5=wiH not only securely lock 65 tie. the spike to the tie but will act as a brace in 2o @ther objects as well as the nature, charretaining it in vertical. position within the acteristic features and scope of my invention tie. will be more readily understood from the It will be understood that the above defollowing description in connection with the scription and accompanying drawings com- 7 accompanying drawings and pointed out in grehend only the general and referred emthe claim forming apart of this specificaodiment of my invention an that various tion, wherein minor changes in details of construction,

igure 1, is a view from the rear of my improportion and arrangement of parts may proved spike, the tie being shown in section be made within the scoge of the appended 7 to illustrate the locking or spreading memclaim and without sacri cing any of the ad- 30 her, vantages of my invention. Fig. 2, is a view in side elevation, and lTaving thus fully described my inventionv ig. 3, is an enlarged rear elevation. what ll claim as new and desire to secure by n applying my invention to a spike of- Letters Patent, is:-

--'the ordinary type, the shank 1 thereof is A spike having a centrally divided shank 35' divided centrally by a longitudinal slot, and wedge shaped point, one of the divisions which extends transversely of the wedge of said shank having its wedge shaped end shaped pointed end andterminates at an apbeveled outwardly upon its inner face to preciable distance from the head 3. The a point, and a shoulder formed'transversely ,shank is thus divided. into two separate ofthe beveled inner face, to provide a barb at members or legs 4: and 5, each of which is therefor.

at be caused to spread apart from the legt and Witnesses? provided with the wedge shape points 2 as In testimony whereof I a my signature shown. The leg 5 has its inner face beveled in presence of two witnessest as at 6 outwardly to a point 7 so that when i 4 I the spike is driven into the tie, the leg 5 will .WALTER R plow its way through the fibers-of the tie, Brennan Harman, until the head 2 of the spike rests firmly Fmrz Tome. 

